Auction of the manuscript „Luz y paz“ by Wolfram Buchenberg

for the benefit of the International Chamber Choir Competition Marktoberdorf

Wolfram Buchenberg grew up on an Allgäu farm and attended the Music Grammar School from 1974 in Marktoberdorf, where he gathered decisive choral experience as a member of the East Allgäu Youth Choir under the leadership of Arthur Groß. From 1982 he studied school music at the University for Music and Drama in Munich. In 1987 he graduated with excellence. From 1988 to 1992 he studied composition under Prof. Dieter Acker. He also graduated here with excellence and was accepted for the Master Class. In 1992/1993 he received a graduate scholarship. Since 1988 Wolfram Buchenberg has taught ensemble conducting and practical piano playing for schools at the University for Music and Drama in Munich. In addition, he has worked as a lecturer at various choral, vocal training and music weeks in Southern Germany.

His particular interest in the field of composing is choral music. A great number of his works have been performed in the competition programmes of the Marktoberdorf competition and also in concerts at the Musica Sacra International festival. Wolfram Buchenberg himself is a regular and welcome guest in Marktoberdorf. For a long time now, there has developed a good and friendly relationship between him and the staff of the Marktoberdorf Whitsun festivals.

For the first time for the 14th International Chamber Choir Competition Marktoberdorf in 2015 a composition was commissioned for a compulsory piece. With great pleasure, Wolfram Buchenberg wrote the piece „Luz y paz“ for the category for female choirs.

As the text for this piece, he chose a Spanish version of the prayer „Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace“. The text, which appeared for the first time in 1912 in the French newspaper La Clochette, is attributed to Saint Francis as a prayer for peace. The text was discovered by Buchenberg by chance as he was looking for a text to fit the motto of the competition „peace“.

„In 1996 I was on the way from Canada by bus to Tacoma/Seattle to visit the World Harp Congress. A young man, who had almost missed the bus and came to sit next to me, turned out to be a Mexican student of Theology. On the occasion of his ordination as a deacon (in the meantime he has become a priest) he sent me the following Spanish text. It came into my hands once again and I find the Spanish version very beautiful.“

So Buchenberg composed under the title „Luz y paz“ a Spanish version of the prayer for peace. Every performance in this category will be a premiere.

Up until now Wolfram Buchenberg has never given away any of his manuscripts. For the first time, then, Wolfram Buchenberg has, with „Luz y paz“, made one of his manuscripts available. For the benefit of the International Chamber Choir Marktoberdorf, the hand signed original will be auctioned – an idea from the composer. The minimum reserve price is set at 2000 Euro.

Offers may be submitted before the Chamber Choir Competition as well as during the period of the event until 0:00 o’clock in the morning of Tuesday May 26th at the latest, in writing, by post, fax, e-mail or in person.

A copy of the manuscript will be displayed during the International Chamber Choir Marktoberdorf in the foyer of the MODEON. The original can at this time be seen on request in the competition office in the MODEON.

We should like to express our very grateful thanks to Wolfram Buchenberg for this generous support of the Marktoberdorf competition and we look forward to offering choral fans and collectors of music the chance to obtain an original Buchenberg manuscript.